We’ve seen people take inspiration from fruits when modifying their vehicles, including turning them into giant pears. But now, a banana on wheels has made headlines after the Montana Highway Patrol stopped it, saying, “traffic laws still apply to fruit.”
The 23-foot-long fiberglass banana actually rests over the chassis of a 1993 Ford F-150 pickup truck. The owner, Steve Braithwaite, decided one day that he was going to bring smiles to the faces of many people by building a big banana that could drive down the freeway.
But the actual inspiration to create a banana car came to him while he waited in line at a gas station and observed a banana near the register, imagining how it would look driving down the road.
It was that moment that began a new journey for Braithwaite, who set out on a mission to build this unique fruity car.
However, he kept getting pulled over during his travels in the first few years, mostly to satisfy officers’ curiosity.
“If It Makes Me Laugh Now, I’m Going to Build It”
Speaking to KBZK, Braithwaite said spotting the banana at the gas station led him to imagine the fruit on wheels, which eventually materialized in 2011. It took three years to build the vehicle since he began the project in 2008. He said:
“I pictured it down the road, driving down the road, and started laughing. I thought, if it makes me laugh now, I’m going to build it.”
An Oxford, England, native, Braithwaite has been living in Michigan for around four decades, but a significant part of the last 15 years has been spent road-tripping across the USA in the banana car.
Recently, Braithwaite sold all his belongings and decided to take up full-time road-tripping. He said:
“I recently sold most of everything I own and put the rest in storage, and I’m now on the road as a full-time banana car nomad.”
The vehicle has taken him across most of the country, and he now aims to drive through Mexico and Central America before shipping it around the Darién Gap and driving through South America. The long-term plan is to explore other countries.
To fund his bananalicious journey, Braithwaite sells T-shirts, coffee mugs, and children’s books featuring the banana car.
Police Encounters With the Banana Car
Braithwaite described himself as the “most pulled over man in America,” at least for the first eight or nine years after he built the car.
Most of his experiences with people and police officers have been friendly. He recollected one traffic stop in West Virginia, where the officer with a serious face pulled him over to tell him a banana pun. The officer said:
“The reason I pulled you over, was because back there, you peeled out.”
Braithwaite recalled, “He walked up to me real serious and said, ‘The reason I pulled you over that light back there, you peeled out,’ and he said it so straight-faced.
“I was about to argue. I’m like, ‘No, I didn’t.’ Then I realized, ‘Oh my God, peeled out.'”
Recently, the Montana Highway Patrol pulled Braithwaite over and posted an image on Facebook with a punny caption. It reads:
“We’ve stopped speeders, distracted drivers, and even a few unusual vehicles… but this one definitely stands out.
“The Big Banana Car was stopped cruising near Billings today. While it may be apPEALing, traffic laws still apply to fruit. 😎 🍌
“Safe travels, Montana.”
Speaking about the traffic stop that occurred while he was headed west toward Seattle, Braithwaite admitted that this time, it wasn’t an officer curious to check out the car. It was for an actual violation.
Two boxes partially blocked the banana car’s license plate, which reads “Split.” Luckily for him, no ticket was issued. Braithwaite said:
“I see the officer go any other way, and he looped around, and he actually had a legitimate reason for pulling me over. It was a fair complaint, but we had a good chat.”
It’s All for the Smiles
Braithwaite revealed that seeing people wave and smile as he drives the banana car has a profound effect on him. He said:
“Driving around in a banana and having all these people, all these smiles and waves, affects me. It actually does something fantastic.”
The comedy car has actually taught Braithwaite something about people and the world. He said:
“There’s going to be issues, but the nice thing about the banana car is people come to my aid. I don’t think we realize anymore how wonderful people really are.”
“The world is seriously low on whimsy right now, and driving around in a banana, it just brings it out of people, and it’s lovely. I think I meet people at their best, and so I couldn’t ask for a better life. It’s so much fun.”
Want to know more about Braithwaite and his banana car? Check out his website for more details.